Game apparatus.



F. W. TULLY.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, I916.

Patented NOV. 6, 1917.

- 6 5 m 3 PM manners w. TULLY, or BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 191 7 Application filed November 17, 1916. Serial No. 131,897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANQISW. TULLY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to game apparatus.

One object of the invention is to provide a deviceadapted for, the consecutive selection and disclosure of an arbitrary series of numbers, names, words or symbols. -Another object is to provide apparatus performing. such a consecutive selection and disclosure by means designed to attract the interest and attention of observers. A further object is to provide apparatus of the nature mentioned associated: with a source of light, for the further. enhancement of the attraction worked upon the mind of the observer.

So faras I am (aware, apparatus for the selection of a sequence of numbers, symbols, or objects adapted to introduce the element of chance, has heretofore comprised broadly spinning devices such as whirling pointers, roulette wheels, etc. varieties of dice, depending in principle on the random positioning of a geometrical solid bearing different symbols on its faces; and therandom arrangementof cards or other objects adapted to be selected and disclosed one at a time from a pack or a receptacle.

-My present device belongs broadly to the last mentioned group, but differs fromit radically in employing a previously fixed but efiectively. concealed series of numbers or symbols, etc, and in providing means for the consecutive disclosure and subsequent destruction of each element ofthe device bearing a; number. or symbol.

, I shall describe my invention in, connection with a preferred species comprising a container of a fusible nature for a concealed series of objects, numbers or symbols, the container being adapted to be removed from the objects contained bythe application of heat, and preferably consisting of a wax, tallow, stearin orparafiin candle having a series of numbers, symbols, etc concealed in its substance and adapted to be exposed as the candle is melted and burned away by the operation of a wick inthe usual manner.

In the accompanying drawings, 3 Figurel is an elevation illustrating one form of my device in use;

Fig.2 is a perspective; 7 Fig, 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig.1, showing the relation of a wick, a symbol carrier and the container;

Fig. 4 illustrates a different form of wick and symbol carrier; 7 I

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5.5 of Fig. a; Fig.6 illustrates another; form of symbol carrier, and modified means for. destroying the previously selected symbol; j

Fig. 7 illustrates another form'of symbol carrier and its relation to a wick; and

V Fig. 8 illustrates a wick and a series of detached symbols carried thereby. 7

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 andj3, 1 is the body of a container made as a candle selected to illustrate the principle of the invention. Said-candle may be cast or molded in any'usual manner from. any usual sub-- stance, typically" consisting of paraflin, stearin, or other waxy substance. The usual wick 2 is centrally disposed in the body 1. Adjacent to thewick and if desired attached thereto in any convenient manner, I provide a symbol carrier 5 which may consist as shown of a strip of paper having an arbitrary series of numbers (or other symbols) printed on one face.

Upon lighting the candle comprised of the body 1 and wick 2, the symbols on the symbol carrier 5 are successively exposed, as

illustrated in Fig. 1, by the approaching flame asjthe candleburnsdown, and the carrier 5 is thereafter consumed with the wick from above a point relatively close to the flame. The substance of the candle conceals the symbol carrier except at the end bearing the xposed symbol. p p

. As illustrated in Fig. 2, means may be provided for preventing the partial conumption of a symbol space 6 of. the symbol carrier 5 before the complete disclosurev of this symbol space. Preferred means for this purpose consists of anapplied line. or spot 7 of fireproofing composition applied to the symbol carrier 5. I prefento saturate a transverse portion 7 with a solution of sodium silicate, for instance one part of sodium silicate intwo parts of water. This fireproofing solution may be applied to the whole strip or carrier 5, and in that case only the relatively high heat from'the direct flame of the candle will result in combustion.

Preferably when the strip 5 is either homogeneously coated or contains the bars or spots 7 only of fireproofing, I prefer to attract attention to the completeappearance of a new symbol space by some change in the candle flame. One way of doing this is illustrated in Fig. 2. comprising spots or zones 8 on the wick 2, impregi'iated with a substance to induce a more lively combustion, such as will follow from applying to the wick at the portions 8 a solution of one part of chlorate 01 soda in two parts of water, or by'a'pplying thereto a solution of potassiumnitrate, or by applying to the wick at these places a pyrotechnic composition of any known or suitable sort to produce a change in the flame of the candle when the flame reaches the places 8.

Instead of employing a round wick 2 with the syn'ibol carrier 5, I may employ a flat wick 10 of a woven, knit or braided textile "fabric, suitably attached to the symbol carrier-5, torinstance, by a melted waxy sub stance similar to that of the body 1. But in some cases symbols may be printed or formed directly onsuch a flat wick, and a separate carrier 5' is then dispensed with, the wick its'elfbeing the carrier.

As shown in Fig. 4 the wick 10 may have transverse elements 11 which have been previously impregnated in the same manner ing' a change in the flame of the candle at intervals, I' may provide for the destruction of a-portion of the symbol carrier already exposed in a way to attract attention.

As there shown, in association with a Wick 2 of any of the kinds described above, the symbol carrier may'consist of two layers 12 of paper, preferably provided with the fireproofing 7 as described above, and with perforations 13 separating the strip 12 into the symbol spaces as shown. In each symbol space and' between' the layers 12, I now provide a pyrotechnic pellet let, which may be a chlorate mixture containinga coloring in- 'grdieint, such as strontium nitrate, or may "be a nnldexplosive of any usual kind to produce a sound as well as the destruction of the symbol space containing 1t whenever the flame heats it beyond the critical tem' I perature at which it is designed to ignite.

.as shown in Fig. 7, I may provide a symbol carrier in the form of a iusible metallic strip 15, having the symbols stamped in or otherwise formed thereon, and in that case I prefer to wind the wick 2' about reduced portions of the symbol carrier 15 as shown.

I he symbol spaces 17 ma if desired be H r a a termed by tlattemng the round wire of which the carrier 1-5 originally consisted.

may beattached to the wick 2., "1 th illlS torm of my device the carriers 18 ranged at random so that the probability of finding two or more candles haiving the same symbols in the same order is very remote.

It will be obvious that a number of different games depending on the elements of chance may be played during the consumption of a candle formed as described. Each player may be; provided with one candle and win or lose in respect to the other as the numbers exposed by his candle are larger or smaller, or different symbols may be assigned ditlerent arbitrary values accruing to one or the other player either as the symbols are exposed-onindividual candles or as'they are taken in alternation-by each player to his own credit.

lVithin the principle of my invention the apparatus obviously 'may be employed for amusement or instruction in any desired manner, being independent of the particular symbol, letter, word or number disclosed; and the device may be employed to expose in sequence any concealed message, word or sentence, as well as an arbitrary sequence of symbols. While' I have illustrated and described in explanation of the genus several species of apparatus, many other varieties unnecessary specifically to show or describe obviously are included among the forms in which the apparatus may be exemplified without departure from my invention.

lVhat I claimis:

1. Game apparatus comprising a container; a symbol carrier adapted to bear aseries of symbols, words, numbers or the like concealed in-said containen'said 0011- tainer being adapted to be ignited whereby to consecutively expose and subsequently destroy portions of the symbol carrier.

Game apparatus comprising a fusible container, a symbol carrier adapted to bear a series of symbols, words, numbers or the like concealed in said container, said container being adapted to be ignited whereby consecutively to melt away portions of the container whereby to expose the symbols successively.

3. Game apparatus comprisinga container adapted to be ignited at one end and thereby consumed, and a symbol carrier normally concealed in the substance of said container whereby to be exposed at the burning end.

4:. Game apparatus comprising a candle and a symbol-carrier embedded in said candle.

5. Game apparatus comprising a candle having a wick and a symbol carrier asso-. ciated with the wick embedded in said candie.

6. Game apparatus comprising a candle and a symbol-carrier adapted to resist consumption by heat to'a greater degree than the substance of the candle said candle.

7. Game apparatus comprising a candle embedded in and a symbol-carrier having symbol-spaces having a textile wick bearing a seriesv of symbols for consecutive exposure at the burning end of the candle.

10. Game apparatus comprising a candle having a fiat textile wick and a fiat paper symbol-carrier associated therewith.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts this eleventh day of November, 1916.

FRANCIS W. TULLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

